# Sonos S1 Controller — user reviews > 1,736 indexed App Store user reviews of Sonos S1 Controller by Sonos, Inc., rated 4.70/5 from 820,654 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonos-s1-controller/id293523031/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonos-s1-controller/id293523031.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 701,498 · 4★ 72,623 · 3★ 19,314 · 2★ 7,836 · 1★ 19,383 ## What do users think of Sonos S1 Controller? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 🚀 Great sound quality - 🔍 Versatile and easy to use - 💡 Whole-home audio experience - 🎨 Sleek and modern design **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues - 🔀 Confusing and unintuitive app updates - 🔍 Difficult to navigate and control - ⚠️ Planned obsolescence of older products **Commonly reported bugs** - App fails to recognize speakers - Music playback randomly cuts out - Inability to control volume from lock screen **Most requested features** - Restore previous app interface - Improve search and playlist management - Add Bluetooth connectivity - Better integration with personal music libraries ## Newest reviews (15 of 1,736) ### 3/5 — End of life *2026-07-25, version 11.16.1* I have a 10 year old Sonos and it’s end of life and no support. Need better pricing for existing customers to upgrade ### 4/5 — Avis *2026-07-18, version 11.16.1* Manque de compstibilité avec mes autres appareils sonos Play 1 ### 2/5 — Mid *2026-07-05, version 11.16.1* Boring didn’t connect so had to download the other app ### 1/5 — Waste of money *2026-07-03, version 11.16.1* Promises you the world and Never performs. Works great when the restaurant is not busy, but as soon as more users are using up bandwidth the system fails EVERY TIME. Spent thousands of dollars and these crooks and thousands on Apple Music and keep getting messages of “not authorized to play”. What a scam. We see going back to a wired speaker system connected to an audio source. ### 4/5 — Accessibility issues with Sonos *2026-07-01, version 11.16.1* While the S1 app works just fine, after Sonos introduced the Liquid Glass in the main bottom navigation menu a couple of months ago, it introduced a huge readability issue: The text of the selected item is white, over a very light gray background. This means you can’t tell properly which item is selected on the menu. This update was made months ago, but is still an issue. I know we are not supposed to expect updates for the S1 app other than security fixes, but the unexpected design update broken the readability, so I trust Sonos devs will fix the introduced issue. Thank you! ### 1/5 — Stealers!!! *2026-06-28* They steal money from you without telling! DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS THIEF APP! Download the oficial one from Sonos! ### 4/5 — DARK MODE PLEASE *2026-06-19, version 11.16.1* This is a great app. I use my Sonos system every day and the app keeps it simple and clean. Love the alarm function, I wake up to Stan Getz every morning ✌️ ### 1/5 — How many years has it been? *2026-06-07, version 11.16.1* Integrate S1 with S2 already. This is not that technologically complicated. Build a single unifying layer on top of both. ### 1/5 — App locks up when back grounded. Doing for 7 years. Sonos sucks. *2026-06-03, version 11.16.1* I have been an Sonos user since 2005 and still have many of rhe old systems which is remarkable that they are still supported in this era of planned obsolescence. However, this is for the devs. The s1 app ui freezes when the screen goes off, you cant change the volume. You have to shutdown the app and restart it. Simple fix, been doing this for 7 years. ### 1/5 — Never again *2026-05-26, version 11.16.1* This is by far the worst experience I’ve had with a technology company spent thousands on multiple play five speakers, playbar, sub multiple play one speakers. The whole thing is farcical They just want to data harvest and register products and have multiple apps and trying to change Wi-Fi networks has wasted hours of my life. ### 1/5 — Never ever ever works *2026-05-16, version 11.16.1* Whenever I go to stay with friends or in a hotel or an Airbnb and there’s a son of speaker I can never ever ever connect to it. The instructions are hopeless. I can connect to every other speaker in the world from my iPhone and play my music library but never Sonos why are you so rubbish? ### 1/5 — Unusable *2026-05-15, version 11.16.1* This system is completely unusable for daily use and unreliable, mainly due to the app. With the old speakers there is no option to connect via bluetoorh or airdrop. That means sonos app is the only option. Also, no option to synch youtube or own music bought, only option to pay for streaming service! When trying to update the system or re-authorise the streaming service often on the S1 Sonos app it says the app needs to be update (even so S1 is up to date), however, the link then send one to Sonos app which when update says it is unable to connect to system because it is incompatible. This creates an unbreakable loop where S1 App is not useable and redirect to Sonos app which cannot connect. It is extortionate that the only practical solution seems to be to buy new equipment, therefore, increasing once financial investment in a system that might force one to buy even more. Better to accept the loss, not buy any more, and choose different brand. Shame! ### 1/5 — Stay away from Sonos and Bose *2026-05-12, version 11.16.1* I have wasted THOUSANDS on first Bose and now Sonos sound systems just to realize Planned Obsolescence was built into the design. ### 2/5 — Terrible Company/Good Speakers *2026-05-09, version 11.16.1* Speakers work perfectly but company sabotaged the older models so they only work without WiFi. ### 1/5 — Still rubbish *2026-05-08, version 11.16.1* Just when you think they have solved it they employ an idiot. No volume now. Why o why. Dont buy ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Disconnect sensitivity *2026-08-23, version 11.16.1* So many issues with connecting to WiFi- inter connecting more than one speaker, odd model numbers, the flashing lights that don’t match the colors instructions etc etc etc. ### 1/5 — Still sucks *2026-08-22, version 11.16.1* Lordy they need to be fired! ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2026-08-14, version 11.16.1* Rubbish. Old app rubbish. Every time I switch on Sonos, I’m asked to reconnect to my network, every single time! Often doesn’t connect. Same with this app. I’m going to go back to being old school, start using devices that don’t need apps. This is honestly getting ridiculous. ### 1/5 — Losing connection on a regular basis *2026-08-13, version 11.16.1* I have my main system on S2 with a few holdouts still on S1. Guess Sonos is forcing me to upgrade. ### 1/5 — Dysfunction at its finest *2026-08-01, version 11.16.1* Ranks as probably the number one most frustrating expensive experience of any of my purchases. I invested in 13 Sonos speakers and with each “new generation” the syncing functionality has decreased and decreased, let alone the speakers even being found to begin with. One day five will only be found, the next day one, today I have 9 functioning. Yesterday, only 4. Considering the thousands of dollars I have spent, I know of no other WiFi based operating system which is so inconsistent and aggravating. And I’m not alone. Many of my clients and friends roll their eyes and have their own stories of dysfunction when I observe that they have Sonos speakers. We have hired professional audio persons who state the same. Even after purchasing WiFi boosters (additional $500) we are again experiencing the same poor performance after a brief three month slight upgrade. As an owner of a 25 year old company, I can’t imagine selling such a poor experience with no resolution over the length of time which complaints have been out there on social media and on Sonos’s platform. Aside from that, they look great. 🙄 ### 1/5 — Failed, never really worked propoerl *2026-07-26, version 11.16.1* I received my Sonos One as a gift around five years ago. For roughly the first 14 months it worked ok, but was always limited in what it would let me play and it had issues connecting to my network, but ever since then I’ve only managed to get it working properly about seven times. Every time I try to use it, there’s a different software-related problem. It can’t connect, it can’t detect my network, it won’t create or sign into an account, or it reports some other issue. According to the app, the problem is always my network, my hardware, my device, or something I’ve supposedly done wrong. The frustrating part is that every other device in my house works perfectly. Phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, streaming devices, everything connects without issue. Yet somehow Sonos always insists the fault is on my side. Today I thought I’d give it another try. I downloaded the latest Sonos app, updated everything, factory reset the speaker, and even attempted to create a completely new account from scratch. The result? Exactly the same. Now I’m being told I either don’t have an internet connection or that the date and time on my iPad are incorrect. My iPad is running the latest version of iOS, the date and time are set automatically and correctly, and I was clearly connected to the internet because I had just downloaded the app and I’m now posting this review. After years of this, I’ve come to the conclusion that Sonos is expensive, unreliable and unnecessarily complicated. The hardware may be well built, but it’s let down by software that, in my experience, has been nothing but frustrating. I’ve never been able to get meaningful support that actually resolved the problem. I appreciate that many people seem to love Sonos products, and I’m genuinely pleased if they’ve had a better experience than I have. Unfortunately, mine has been almost entirely negative. If someone from Sonos support genuinely wants to help me get this speaker working reliably, I’d welcome that. Otherwise, after five years of disappointment, I think it’s time to put it back in the box and take it to the recycling centre. For what is supposed to be a premium product, it has been one of the most frustrating pieces of technology I’ve ever owned. ### 1/5 — Legacy App has 💀 *2026-07-23, version 11.16.1* I have a legacy system with three Play 3 speakers and a bridge. This week the Sonos S1 app died. I’m signed in but my music is gone. It says my 3 speakers are incompatible with the new Sonos app but in the Sonos S1 app it also says they are now incompatible. I deleted the app. Reinstalled it. Got it all back up and running 2 days ago only to close the app when I went to bed and find it dead the next morning. My bridge lights are on. It tells me to use the legacy app but it’s completely broken now. Flashing screens to update to Sonos S2, music gone, system “incompatible” - if you call customer service you get call center reps who have ZERO training on the legacy product and don’t have any clue about the bridge or older speakers. Shame on Sonos for this planned obsolescence! A few days ago my system was working beautifully. Now, with the app totally glitching out, there is no way to connect. Shame, shame, shame. I bought Sonos when it was the next big thing and my speakers are still perfect. How dare you force people to buy a new system over an app!!!! ### 1/5 — Worst ever *2026-07-15, version 11.16.1* Don’t ever buy Sonos. Nothing but a headache to set up. Constantly can’t find speakers. Updates to the app remove speakers. Biggest joke of a system ever, DO NOT BUY ### 1/5 — Sonos S1 *2026-07-12, version 11.16.1* When I’m using the S1 app, it doesn’t update to what’s currently playing sometimes when I come back to the open app. I need to close the app and reopen for the current play to be correct and not stuck on previously played material. ### 1/5 — Worst app and company … ever? *2026-07-09, version 11.16.1* How this app has more than one star is beyond me. Like many people, I am deeply invested in Sonos products for whole home audio. This was at best fine when they were sort of maintaining this original app. Then they just decided to abandon it. Now the “S1” app simply sucks. It has a non-dismissible nag banner to upgrade to the S2 app which is useless for older Sonos hardware. There are a million simple-to-fix UI problems, like playlist names from Apple Music don’t load. But then there are the more annoying problems like when a playlist just stops playing. You’d think they could hire an internet to vibe code and fix the many many problems with the horrendous S1 app or barring that, open source it. At any rate, let the S1 app be a warning for anyone thinking about buying Sonos products. They’ll abandoned you just as certainly as they did the previous generation of their customers. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — La mejor *2026-07-28, version 11.16.1* Lo máximo ### 5/5 — S1 y s2 *2026-06-26, version 11.16.1* Deberían unir esos 2 sistemas para que funciones las generaciones ### 5/5 — Sonos gives you music for the whole home! *2026-06-20, version 11.16.1* The app is great and the music is even better. The atmosphere becomes beautiful once you add a little music and Sonos helps you do that for the whole house in just a few taps! ### 5/5 — Cool *2026-05-31, version 11.16.1* Its such a great system for my home to just listen and relax all around my home. ### 5/5 — Use this app not Sonos S2 if you want a system that can handle what you want *2026-05-12, version 11.16.1* Title says it all. Works just like Sonos used to with before they messed everything up with the “upgrade.” Just make sure you have older speakers that are S1-compatible. ### 5/5 — Unbelievable Customer Support! *2026-04-08, version 11.16.1* I recently ran into issues with my 15 year old Play 5. Tech support worked with me to update my unit, work thru network issues & get me back to enjoying my jams while I work. You are getting so much more than an awesome product; you have the incredible value of a company that stands behind their product & customer service. I’ll be a customer for life! ### 5/5 — Perfect *2026-04-07, version 11.16.1* This is the perfect app for the best sounding speakers on the market. Hands down. A few years ago they pushed everyone into upgrading their system to the S2 app. Huge mistake. Nothing but issues and glitches ever since, but luckily I was able to downgrade my system back to this app, and it works flawlessly as before. I really can’t understand why they ever changed it since this app functions flawlessly. ### 5/5 — Sonos is awesome! *2026-04-01, version 11.16.1* Absolutely love Sonos. Living in a house that was built before sound systems were installed I had always wanted a house system. Sonos gives me that pleasure without construction. I recently moved. I am 100% tech illiterate. I called the 800 # and through a patient operator was able to restore all 4 of my speakers in the new house with a new wifi system. I am so grateful. I NEED my music! ### 5/5 — S1 anytime *2026-03-31, version 11.16.1* I’ve been using Sonos about 25 years now and decided to migrate to S2 at the time S1 had dev stopped. Fortunately I have no speakers that need S2 (but many that will use both) and so went back to S1. S1 is usable and relatively friendly. S2 is still an unusable mess as far as I can tell from my father’s system, the headphones in particular a massive disappointment. So I’m ‘stuck’ on old kit which, contrary to all the naysayers back then, continues to work and work well. ### 5/5 — 👍🏻 Sonos S1 Controller works as well as ever *2026-03-15, version 11.16.1* I have four Play 1’s (two of which are in a stereo pair) and a Connect; all of which I control with S1 controllers on an iPhone, iPad and Mac. All of the Sonos devices are connected via Ethernet / dLAN. I stream music from various cloud sources and my own NAS. Contrary to many recent reviews, I find the app and my devices to be pretty much rock solid reliable: I will occasionally need to restart a device that has frozen (remembering that each Sonos device is essentially a computer). I can only assume that lots of recent reviews here are for the Sonos S2 Controller, and/or by people with poor wi-fi coverage in their homes. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*